Easyconnect caps on BASF oilseed rape products mark UK milestone

For the first time in the UK, new easyconnect caps will be available to growers on BASF’s oilseed rape crop protection products from autumn 2023. These caps enable the use of the easyconnect Closed Transfer System (CTS) and mark a milestone in UK agriculture, as new CTS filling methods make farm operations more convenient and even safer for users and the environment.

The easyconnect system consists of two components: the easyconnect cap, which comes pre-fitted on product containers and the easyconnect coupler, which supports the safe and drip-free filling of the spray tank with liquid crop protection products. Together they establish the CTS that provides farmers with a compelling combination of increased safety and convenience when filling the sprayer. ″Cleanload Nexus″ from Hyrpo is the current coupler of the easyconnect closed transfer system available in the UK.

Step forward in responsible product stewardship

Rob Gladwin, Head of Technical Management, BASF underlines, ″This is an important step forward in our journey to ensure the responsible stewardship of our products, significantly reducing the potential risk of point source pollution and increasing operator safety.

BASF easyconnect capped crop protection products are already in use in parts of Europe, and this conversion of our product packaging will be expanding across the BASF portfolio.

BASF developed easyconnect in collaboration with third-party equipment manufacturers and joined forces with other agricultural industry players to ensure farmers have a broad choice of products from many manufacturers that will be compatible with the easyconnect system. This means it will be easier for farmers to switch to CTS.″

Safer, quicker, and easier

Nigel Durdy, Ninevah Farm, near Doncaster in Yorkshire annually sprays 4000 ha of mainly combinable crops with his 36 m Rogator sprayer and is one of the pilot farmers from across the UK trialling the easyconnect CTS.

Mr Durdy explains ″It’s a step forward, once the easyconnect caps are on the cans there will be no reason not to use it. The CTS lowers operator exposure from a spillage point of view and really lowers the chance of point source contamination.

It is a simple system; you can’t go wrong and it is quicker and easier. You put the can on the machine, it will empty the contents out and then you just pull a lever and it will rinse the can, so it is lowering the chances of spillage or splashing because it is in a closed transfer system.

The whole agricultural industry will be using it in time as things move forwards, however, if growers receive a product with an easyconnect cap and do not have a coupler, they can simply unscrew the cap as normal.″